English and Japanese Resultatives Resultative Constructions vs. Lexical Resultatives

Abstract

Linguistic expressions describing a situation where an action brings about a result are called resultative expressions or resultatives. Of resultatives, those based on construction are resultative constructions. English resultative constructions are considered a family extending from core cases to peripheral and idiomatic instances. On the other hand, contrary to ordinary opinions, the Japanese language lacks explicit resultative constructions. Its resultative expressions are limited to pseudo-resultatives and resultative verbal compounds. Resultative expressions can be of two types; those whose causal relation derives from construction and those whose causal relation derives from a word. English has these two resultatives, but Japanese has only the latter. In other words, when viewed from the origin of where the causal relationship represented by CAUSE comes from, resultatives can be divided into those whose CAUSE originates lexically and those whose CAUSE originates from the construction. English has both types, while Japanese has only the lexically originated causal relationship. This paper examines this issue in detail.